Hitherto, a magnetic tape cartridge of the type which has a single reel on which a magnetic tape is wound and a cartridge case which accommodates the reel so as to permit rotation of the reel has been known as a magnetic tape cartridge used as a recording medium installable in external storage for computers, such as LTO (Linear Tape-Open). Such a magnetic tape is used for storage of computer data, and important information is stored thereon. Therefore, such a tape cartridge is structured not only to prevent troubles, such as a tape jam, from occurring but also to avoid accidental drawing of magnetic tape from the cartridge.
Further, the forward end of the magnetic tape is fixed to a leader member for drawing out the tape, such as a leader pin or a leader block, or spliced to a leader tape which is made of a relatively hard plastic material and has engaging holes made in its front. And a drive is structured so as to perform load/unload (drawing/winding) of magnetic tape by holding the leader member or the leader tape front with a holding member installed on the side of a record playback unit and drawing out the magnetic tape.
In performing the load/unload operation by drawing the magnetic tape into the magnetic record playback unit in the foregoing manner and winding the tape front on a machine reel in the unit, the tape front is pulled while coming in contact with a tape guide and a magnetic head placed on the running path in a state that accurate positioning is not made yet. As a result, the tape front is subject to damage, so reinforcement thereof is preferable. Thus, it has been carried out to splice a leader tape higher in strength than a magnetic tape to the forward end of the magnetic tape (as disclosed, e.g., in JP-A-2001-110164).
In addition, the leader tape used is generally a magnetic tape having a single magnetic layer.
Therefore, when a magnetic tape cartridge is mounted in an LTO drive, the leader tape surface rubbing against the running system of the LTO drive comes to be scratched while repeating load/unload over and over again, and powdery shavings stick to the running system. The shavings stuck on the running system are transferred to the magnetic tape surface and cause a problem of increase in tape dropouts.